Mutagen

Without a concrete foundation, the military would slowly collapse. It would already be good if that was all. However, it was very likely that the people lurking in the dark would hold power with what remained, putting everyone\'s safety to risk.

That was why even if General Faustino was not in shape to lead at all, he was still doing so, using Jones as his hands and feet.

It was not like there were no capable people left within the ranks of the soldiers. Nonetheless, being in the position of leading a group and being one of the settlement\'s pillars could not be based on a soldier\'s rank alone. They needed experience was a very crucial aspect for a person to lead people. It was one reason why only those who aged enough were in those positions.

In the current situation, it would be hard to just pick anyone from the remaining soldiers and promote them. After all, a soldier\'s rank was earned and not just given abruptly. Giving a soldier a rank unbefitting would cause more trouble as it would plant discord among the soldiers.

Still, Major Bautista returning alive would cause the situation to turn for the better. It would be hard to lead the soldiers with nothing but a disabled General and his proxy.

At this time, General Faustino turned to Mark.

"Looks like your managed to fulfill your end of the deal, bringing Alfonso back completely fine, despite what happened in the world. How about Chervil and the others?"

General Faustino asked.

"They are fine. Chervil is busy studying new things in the base. The others are also enjoying their stay."

Mark replied, causing those that heard his words to stare at him.

After all, he said that they were enjoying their stay. Who would enjoy what in this world at its current state?

Major Bautista could only smile bitterly. Mark was not joking, after all. Joash and the others were indeed enjoying their stay there. There were many new things that they had not seen in Mark\'s base and a few facilities unavailable in the settlement.

Especially a bathhouse.

Looking at it, every soldier here did not seem to have any proper bath for a long time. However, Mark\'s group, even Major Bautista, looked neat and clean. Even his uniform was washed properly.

"Ahem." General Faustino coughed a bit, making those staring look away. "It is good then. But it looks like it\'s only Alfonso who you brought back."

"It\'s not easy to go here, you know," Mark replied. "The amount of radiation in the surroundings is not safe for travel. Although I have methods that I used to go here, that can only be used on a small number of people. Or did you not know?"

"Of course we knew." General Faustino said. "Although we haven\'t known yet why the area around the settlement seemed to be protected. It was as if we are covered by a barrier we cannot see."

Mark shrugged to the General\'s words. He was right, but not just anyone would be able to sense this barrier. The only indication of the barrier was the difference in the state of the land inside and outside.

Inside the barrier, everything remained the same as before. It might already be destroyed, but the farmlands, landmarks, and even other landforms remained the same.

Outside the barrier, however, everything was changed. It looked like a world alien for everyone in the settlement.

There was no need to see the actual barrier as the border could easily be seen.

Mark kept his silence at what the General said, which made Major Bautista sigh inside.

Noticing that Mark did not seem to want to talk too much and appeared to be in a bad mood for a long conversation, he diverted the topic.

"Actually, Mark, we need your help with something."

General Faustino said.

"What is it?" Mark asked. "I\'m willing to hear, but it doesn\'t mean I\'ll agree to it right away."

"We know." The General nodded. "Though I\'m quite confided that you will also be interested."

Then, General Faustino turned to Jones Galley and nodded.

"A group of people... Well, I don\'t know if we can call them people, really." Jones stated. "They arrived the other day. But they were speaking a language none of us knew. They set camp inside the safe area. We don\'t want to just chase them away since they seem to have strange abilities and didn\'t seem to intend to bring any harm. But the people were being too wary of them."

Jones explained.

"Hmmm?" As the General stated, Mark would be interested in this. "Strange people? So, what do you guys want me to do with them? Chase them away?"

"No. It\'s not that." General Faustino replied. "We just want to know their intentions. They did not do anything aggressive to us so far. We actually suspect that they also helped us when some robots appeared outside the safe area. Wait, did you already know about those robots? In any case, we just want to converse with them. I don\'t really know if you can help us with this, but I feel that you could do something."

"Well, let me see them first." Mark shrugged. "Although I can\'t just promise that I will be able to do something."

"That is enough." General Faustino replied with a grateful tone before turning to Jones. "Bring Mark to where those people are staying."

"Okay, General." Jones nodded. "Follow me."

As Jones began to take the lead, Mark turned to Major Bautista and the others.

"You\'re going to stay here, right, Major?" Mark then turned to Karlene. "How about you?"

"Why are you only asking me?"

Karlene grumbled.

"Your father will stay behind. Spera and Karla will surely come with me. So you\'re the only one to ask."

Mark explained.

"Of course, I\'m going!"

Karlene exclaimed as she went to push Mark to follow Jones.

Soon, it was only General Faustino and Major Bautista who were present. Along with the injured soldiers and medical workers in the infirmary.

"Your daughter is the same as ever, huh." General Faustino said with a smile. "It is a good thing. If not for the side effect of the experiment, she could stay here without problems. It\'s just the people were afraid that she would just lose control and began to kill."

"Actually, General..." Major Bautista spoke hesitatingly. "My daughter is cured. Although I doubt she would want to go back here anymore."

"Really? How?"

Surely, that statement was a surprise to the General.

"Yes." Major Bautista nodded. "Although they did not want to explain how. In any case, we already knew that my daughter\'s condition before was similar to bipolarity, having two personalities. I was just that the other personality was created due to [Mutagen]."

General Faustino nodded. It was no secret to them what happened to Karlene.

"What I know is that they just removed the other personality, that new consciousness, from her."

Major Bautista then took a breath in.

"That girl with violet hair with Mark. She seemed to be that consciousness they removed from my daughter."

General Faustino was speechless. It was not wrong to say that what the Major said was unbelievable.

"Are you sure?" The General asked. "I know that Mark seemed to have a lot of strange things with him. But it\'s still hard to believe."

"I know, General." Major Bautista shrugged. "But with how their personalities were similar, they even had the same [Mutator] abilities. Not to mention that when Karlene was younger, she looked exactly like that girl, Karla. It might be unbelievable, but it\'s hard to argue with the evidence."

General Faustino fell silent. It was surely unbelievable but undisputable with the evidence present. Mark was really someone unfathomable.

The General then turned to the Major once more. This time, with a serious look on his face.

"Tell me... Did Mark knew about what is currently happening in the world?"

Major Bautista could not help but sigh at that question.

"What made you think that, General?"

"His sudden arrival that day. Taking you, Chervil, and even Emika\'s family with him. Both Karlene and Emika had a tight connection with Mark, which made me think that he did it for them. To ensure your safety. It is too much of a coincidence that all these catastrophes happened after Mark took you and the others. Jones had a few deep wounds, braving the falling space debris to save me. Everyone in the settlement had a least a few bruises, rolling on the ground because of the earthquake. Then, you came back here, not a single scratch on your body. Not only you but everyone with you and Mark. With the intensity of the disaster a few days ago, it is impossible to achieve unless Mark prepared for it."

Major Bautista could only shrug. Who would have thought that just being uninjured would give such clues? The General was not wrong. If someone fell badly, they could use their hands and arms to protect them from their fall. In that case, falling from an earthquake higher than magnitude ten would definitely cause bruises and scratches on hands and arms. Well, unless the person was a dunce, then the injury would be on their face.

There was no need to mention that the disaster came with most of the world unaware. One disaster came from the sky. Another turned the land upside down. Unless it was luck, no people would go unscathed. Even more for a whole group of people.

"I don\'t know if I should be saying this..." Major Bautista hesitated. "Hah... I\'ll just apologize later."

"There is no need to apologize. I\'ll take the blame." General Faustino shook his head. "In any case, if you are saying that..."

"Yes." Major Bautista nodded. "Mark knew everything. Not just the disasters. Even the barrier and the [Mechids]."

"[Mechids]?"

"It is those robots you mentioned earlier." Major Bautista answered the question. "They seem to be robots from an artificial planet in space. And what is causing them to attack seems to be another pathogen similar to [Mutagen]."

"What?"

Surely, that piece of information was a surprise to the General. They were speaking in whispers until now. That exclamation from the General took everyone\'s attention.

"General, is everything alright?"

A doctor came immediately and asked the General.

"No, I\'m fine. I\'m just surprised about something."

The General replied to the doctor.

"It\'s good then." The doctor replied. "Don\'t force yourself too much. You\'re still recovering."

"You too, Major. I know you just returned but don\'t strain the General too much."

With those warnings, the doctor left to tend to other soldiers.

"That guy is really diligent."

Major Bautista said, looking at the doctor\'s back.

"Doctor Jeremy? He really does."

General Faustino nodded.

Then, the General went back to whispers.

"Is what you said just now true?"

"Sorry, General. I don\'t really know." Major Bautista shook his head. "In the least, that is what Mark told everyone in his base."

"Tell me everything." General Faustino asked in all seriousness. "I will sincerely apologize to Mark later. I know this might counted as us betraying his trust, but there is no way I will ignore this if it is for the sake of everyone\'s survival."

Major Bautista suddenly fell silent. Then, a thought came to his mind.

"No, General... He might have already considered this to happen."

"What do you mean?"

General Faustino was bewildered.

"Since the start, Mark never told me that I can\'t tell anything I learned from him to anyone."

Then, Major Bautista added.

"And he actually allowed me to stay here without me asking to. He likely knew that I will be asked about things, but he did not do anything to prevent it..."

This made the two silent for a bit, wondering what Mark really was.